By Jeffrey Heyden-Kaye
The Legends on The Niagara golf course will host the Golf Town National Amateur series from Sept. 21 to 24 and Ponoka golfers will be there.
Jared Nicolls, 14, was among more than 100 contestants in different age groups at the Wolf Creek Golf Resort recently.
Jared, the youngest of the qualifiers travelling to the Nationals, “feels pretty good” to qualify. His overall score from the Ponoka tourney was 76, first in his age group, which qualified him to go to Niagara Falls, Ont. Kolby Vold also qualified but will be unable to attend.
Corey Nicolls, Jared’s dad, loves to golf and his wife informed him that he could play golf as much as he wanted as long as he brought Jared. Jared picked up his first driver at the age of two and has been playing with his dad ever since.
Mr. Nicolls explains Jared was nine years old the first time he defeated his father. “I was very proud of the day my son started beating me.”
“We go on vacation to California during the winter to be able to keep playing,” said Jared.
When the weather is good Jared will play every day — after he finishes his homework — for five to six hours.
He usually plays with friends and when his dad gets off work they play together.
Although Jared has been competing for about four years, this is his first year making it to the National series.
Jared’s main goal is “to win, but more importantly to play well and gain some experience from this trip.”
There are two additional Ponoka golfers who qualified. Tim Boston was first in his group with a score of 78, and Blair Neal with a score of 79.